Matthew Schaefer had an emotional moment on live TV when he was surprised with the Calder Trophy during an appearance on Good Morning America. He got very emotional and was in tears while thanking his family, teammates, and supporters who helped him throughout his journey.

In his emotional speech, Matthew Schaefer talked about the challenges he and his family faced over the years. He said that tough times and setbacks made their bond stronger.

“Yeah, it's, you know, in a lot of my years, we've done a lot as a family. And, you know, my mom's helped me and my family so much with, you know, just everything. And obviously, we've had some tough losses, but it hasn't stopped us as a family. We've gotten a lot closer”, Matthew Schaefer said. 

He credited his mother for her support, describing her as a constant source of encouragement through both highs and lows.

The Calder Trophy is given every year to the NHL’s best rookie player. It honors outstanding first-year performance, skill, and impact in the league.

Schaefer set the League record for points by an 18-year-old defenseman, sort of tied the single-season NHL record for the most goals by a rookie defenseman and somehow became the first defenseman in more than 90 years to pace the rookies in goals (tied, or outright).

He is the first Islanders player to take the award since forward Mathew Barzal in 2017-18, and it is also the sixth time in their history.

Matthew Schaefer also said the award meant more than just a personal success.

“So I'm super honored to be this and be there with a lot of great names. But obviously, to have you guys here too, and obviously my two sisters. This year has been very important to me, and I want to do it for my mom but my family, so it's definitely an honor.”

At 18 years, 223 days on the last day of the regular season, Schaefer is the youngest Calder Trophy winner in NHL history.

He’s one day younger than Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was in 2013-14 (18 years, 224 days).

Schaefer was one of three finalists for the Calder, with forwards Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens) and Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks).

But before looking ahead, it's worth looking back at the season that earned Schaefer a spot among the NHL's best rookies.

Matthew Schaefer Performance This Season

Matthew Schaefer was selected 1st overall by the New York Islanders in the 2025 draft.

In the 2025–26 regular season, Matthew Schaefer recorded 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points in 82 games. He led all NHL rookies in total ice time, logging 2,023 minutes while averaging 24:41 per game.

His team did not go very far in the season, but he still played very well. He learned a lot and showed strong performance throughout the year.

The New York Islanders finished the 2025-26 NHL regular season with a 43-34-5 record, placing 6th in the Metropolitan Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Matthew Schaefer showed his award meant a lot to him, and his success came from family support. His emotional reaction showed viewers that sports success needs years of sacrifice, hard work, and belief.

Read more at the NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Utsav Gupta